Pneumatic vehicle-spring.



T. G. WILKINSON.

PNEUMATIC VEHICLE SPRING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1907.

898,712; Patented Sept 15,1908.

7 zwaea: fiz/enior:

CZWM%%I 1% 55 supports and. partly surrounds the sides and the drawing being cylia B ssr AVA-mats oorr 1 air whom may mow";-

Co known that .i, sou, a ultimo of $5216 Jul 2 at South l thliiarusgiort, ill: 1 5 llycomiug aml Stat-o of ..Ponnslranla i o wigs or ths owning is so invented a now and usoful Prion;

red to the lost lastor r y in unis of a pivot zl'L hick-Spring, of which the follow-:in fication. in room on the tube. pro My invention relates to improvements in' *ont rottion or" tho tube. The top oi tile pirou natio VClllClG springs, in which a Vorticoll ho); is partly covered. by a can K, see :red v( 5 cal plunger operates in conjunction with an in position hr aorev; threads around the can air chamber Within a flexible air cell, and the fitting; in oth i-r sore-u threads around the top objects of my improvements are to provide a of ths hora. 'lhrori the cup is a central spring with its elasticity furnished by ooiuo icniug l-l'llllllgll who L the i'iluusgor passes. is pressed air and having l acilitios for tho ail- Bait the sides, oii 1h sui'i'nz'o ottho cell 7 justmout of tho spring to the has it will ho are lll'ul lllli i ls, nila jitoil to oarryaml to theshock it will roosivr'. l atreceive fitiltill imrs l to hermit the guide tain these objeots by the meolmnism ilhisimrsto rooiiirocato fur the trout at: thank trated in the acconi 'ianying drawings in soil hex are scoured lugs openings through horn, mlaptml to he soill M, with which I i Figure l is an outside View, Fig. 2 isa vorourotl to tho stool solving or z: iixoil part of a tical section of tho-springs and Fig. I}, is a vehiolo. 1' vertical section of the air call and connect- The plungor N, is above the :ir cell, it ing tube. Fig. 4:, shows the position of tho lows end jm ssiiig' tlirough the owning in the pneumatic Vehirle spring, fastened hotuoou cop and nesting or; rho (list; 3. Ti 3 plimwr 559 V v ON framosthat are secured to the stool springs ml avtir g aml rs with the air coll cau' ss a vehicle. As tho pnouniatw YPlHfll so our the (list: to rocipromti: by 1EEYiB-- l( 1i:l2z(l" i. .52 I. partor tho 111A toll.

is more resilient than a pueumatio tire, in sion of the to i thisposition it serves the same purposo as r 111 i: ;i (l oi right :iiateri pneui'uatic tire, by absorbing tho short Qli is of shout tr and Vibrations that are not absorbed by t W as 5 air coll, its diameter ordinary vehicle spring. Fig. 5, is a riow of lor an that of the air coll, to the lower surface of the cell oox pivot zine." or the air cell wall anal an clamp. The clamp inclosod shown in air space to be interposed between the oirdotted lines. cunrioreiioo of the pluiiger and tho insidosur- 90 Similar letters refer to similar parts face of the (roll box, soo l ig. 2. 011 the front throughout the several views. oi tho I r 1'.:-

l a scale adapts-Ll to The air coll A, is an air tigl'it sack of strong shou :he rap, when adjust flexible material, preferably oomposm'l of ii tin sor 7 l'op ol tho plunger is "o- 40 layers of textile material, bot won whic i. are cured a plus I and at tho sides of the 95 layers of rubber, all layers being securely iasare secured guide bars i, l adapted to reoi-gr tensd together. The air cell is either oylinrooa'rs iii frames L, L. hear the bottom of clrical or cask shaped and a littlolargor at tho the guide bars are sscurorl collars R, R, bottom than at the top. The tration m. shows a cask shaped air cell. (in too of mil the air cell is secured an infiexihlo rims ing into which is secured a tube 0 with screw threads anillurnishsd. The 611010? the tube Within the are adapted to largedat F. Eelowtho nut is or a part oi; a adapted to be held by a clamp. The accessory air The cell box H, is a rigid receptacls which tight reoeptaose of within the air cell.

ience. Through the top of the accessory air chamber'is an annular opening provided with screw threads adaplged to secure it to the lower end of the tube which tube serves as a means of communication between the accessory air chamber and the air chamber Through the wall of the .accessory air chamber is atube V, supplied with an inlet valve suitable for introducing air under pressure into the air chambers.

The size of the accessory air chamber will 'place in position. I By any suitable means,

air under pressure, is forced through the tube V, containing the inlet valve, until the pressure in the air cell forces the plunger nearly to the top of the cell box, permitting a small part of the plunger to remain within the cell ox, to avoid strong rebound, and by the same means the check springs are brought into contact with the guide frames. On force being transmitted to the supporting spring, the plunger is forced downward, inverting the top of the air cell and reducing its capacity, so further condensing the air in the an chambers until the air-pressure is in proportion to the force applied. At the same time the pressure of the air holds that part of the air cell which is not inverted, in its roper osition and a portion of the air'is torced etween the inverted and vertical parts of the air cell, preventing friction between the surfaces. See Fig. 2. hen the force is discontinued the condensed air exands, everting the top of the air cell and orcing the plunger into its former position Where any further upward motion is restrained by the check springs. I While the pneumatic spring is especially desirable, interposed between the steel spring and a fixed part of a vehicle, it will be understood this construction may also be secured between other parts of a vehicle where a spring may be used, this simply involving a slight modification oi the means of I guiding and of the means of attaching to a vehicle.

I am aware that prior to my invention. pneumatic vehicle springs have been devised but I am not aware that'thc flexible air cell, plunger and other attachments herein described have been used.

l. The combination in pneumatic vehicle springs of an air chamber within. a flexible air cell forming the supporting spring, an inflexible'disk secured to the top of the air cell,

.' springs of an air chamber within a cell box supporting the air cell, a plunger directed by guides acting on the air cell, and with check springs adapted to retain the plunger in contact with the air cell, as de scribed.

2. The combination in pneumatic vehicle sprin s of an air-chamber within a flexible air cell forming the supporting spring, a cell box adapted to support the air cell, aplunger directed by guides acting on the air cell, and with coil springs on the said guides adapted to form check springs, with the said pneumatic vehicle spring interposed between an extra frame, composed of bars secured to the highest point of, and extending from one to the other of the ordinary steel springs commonly used on a vehicle, and the body of a vehicle as described.

3. The combination in pneumatic vehicle sprin s of an air chamber within a flexible box, a plunger, a plate secured to the said plunger and guide bars attached to the said plate, with check springs to restrain the rebound as described.

4. The combination in pneumatic vehicle springs of an air chamber within a flexible air cell forming the supporting spring, a cell box with guide frames secured to the said cell secured. to the plun er and guide bars attached to the said plate, with an accessory air chamber to adjust the spring as described.

5. The combination in pneumatic vehicle springs of an air chamber within a flexible air cell forming the supporting spring, a cell box, with means of securing the said cell box to a vehicle, a plunger directed by guides actplunger, with meansof securing the said plate to a vehicle and with check springs acting on the guides as described.

I 6. The combination in pneumatic vehicle springs of an air chamber within a flexible air cell forming the supporting spring, a cell tween the air cell and an accessory air chamb er, a second tube with an inlet valve leading int-o the said accessory air chamber, with guide bars and guide frames to direct the the plunger, all as described.

7. The combination in pneumatic vehicle springs of an air ehamberwithina flexible air cell forming the supporting spring, a cell-box, provided with a cap and'adapted to support said guides, adapted to form check springs air cell.

'8. The combination in pne matic vehicle air cdll forming the supporting spring, a cell box, a plunger acting on the air cell, a plate ing on the air cell, a plate attached to the plunger, and with check springs to restrain and to retainthe plunger in'contact .with the cell forming a supporting spr ng, a cell-box ios box, a plunger acting on the air cell, a tube serving as a means of communication bethe air cell, a plunger directed by guides act-f ing on the air cell and with coil springs on the a flexible air-. I

adapted to support the air cell, aplunger acting on the air cell, with guides to direct the 10 mg on the air cell, With means of guiding the said plunger, with coil springs interposed between the guide frames and the collars on the guide bars, adapted to serve as check s rings.

9. he combination in pneumatic vehicle springs of an air chamber Within a flexible aircell forming the supporting s ring, a cell box adapted to support the air ce l, a plunger actplunger, and check springs attached to the guides, With an accessory air chamber serving asa means to adjust the spring, all sub i stantially as described.

TRUMAN G. WILKINSON.

Witnesses JAMES H. SEAORIST, JERED WOODLEY 

